I'm am fascinated by the relationship between people and the natural world. Everything informs everything else - there are no boxes, just life.

Thursday, 4 June 2009

Reflections on the Rainforest by Anil Roberts - an Amerindian from Guyana

I met Anil at a Jesuit conference that was held just before the World Social Forum this year in Belem in Brazil. Anil is an Amerindian and lives in the savannah area of Guyana, above the rainforest. I talked to him about his life, his traditions, the way Guyana is changing and his fears for the future. What this podcast shows is that conservation can sometimes seem exclusive and anti-people. But unless we learn to live together, people and nature side by side, then something or someone will lose out (see my fox blogs!)

Of course we have to protect rainforest, but we also have to protect the native peoples who have lived there for generations and who have invaluable knowledge that we can't learn through books. I'll soon have another podcast which is a follow up conversation I had with an English Jesuit priest who lives with the Amerindians, you can hear his thoughts on his role as a Catholic priest in this fast changing world. His thoughts on faith and the future are insightful and timely.

A huge and big thank you to James Broscombe for really wonderful photos, the latest is the one above. His blogspot: - 2009 - A Picture a Day - well worth looking at.

Thanks James - great photo as ever. When you see him next give him a hug from me. Hope you are both well. Stand by for interview with Paul Martin to be published - any good photos of him? Love to you both.Mary

Bristol

About Me

Painting of a curlew by Robert Fuller

Why a Curlew?

I love curlew, they have the most beautiful, haunting call, inhabit that wild hinterland between land and sea and manage to look comical and lovely at the same time. They are also associated with an ancient celtic saint. Legend has it that St Beunowas sailing off the coast of Wales and dropped his book of sermons into the water. A curlew flew down, scooped up the book and took it to the shore to keep it safe. From then on St Beuno blessed all curlew and said they should be protected for ever, hence their nests are really difficult to find.